Are you a beach bunny or a snow bird? If you’re not dreaming of a hot holiday, you’re probably dusting off your skis and wondering which slopes to hit. With so many great resorts across a variety of destinations around the world, you’re spoiled for choice. Lightfoot Travel luxury private chalets are perfect for a winter escape, and the dedicated personal concierge ensures you’ll have a stress-free holiday with friends and family.
Here are three very different locations to get you started, so sayonara, bon voyage and have a great trip, eh!
1. Niseko, Japan—The Glasshouse
Nominated for the World Ski Awards 2014 and 2015, the Glasshouse overlooks Mt Yotei (Credit/Lightfoot)
Light, fluffy powder, spectacular backcountry and steamy onsens—yes, just another perfect day skiing in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. The region is a Swiss Alps rival and pow-hound haunt in the winter. For an all-around superb skiing destination, Niseko is arguably the most famous ski resort in Japan. Japan ranked #1 as the 2017 ultimate skiing destination by Australia’s International Traveler magazine.
Located at Hirafu’s Lower Village—one of four resorts on the mountain—the Glasshouse is a five-bedroom designer chalet with panoramic alpine views. This chalet is perfect for families with children. Each bedroom is equipped with a bunk bed, TV and DVD player, and the en suite bathrooms are made with Hinoki timber (Japanese cypress). Relax in the cozy open-plan living space with a fireplace, or take an après-ski soak in a traditional wooden bath tub or outdoor jacuzzi spa.
2. Courchevel, France—Chalet Marmotte
Courchevel 1650 Ski School is only 300 metres away (Credit/Bookings.com)
Courchevel is not one resort but many very different ones, and it’s known as the winter playground for the rich and famous. The area is at the end of the world’s largest lift-linked ski area—Les Trois Vallées (the Three Valleys). Courchevel 1650 is a two-hour drive from Geneva Airport and a great base for skiing Les Trois Vallées.
Chalet Marmotte is a warm and inviting four-bedroom chalet combining simplicity and sophistication. It’s a wonderful place for guests to escape from reality and to enjoy the surrounding beauty of the mountains. Natural colours and light permeate through the windows in the living areas, adding homeliness and comfort to the chalet. Relaxation is key here: the property comes complete with an in-lodge sauna and area that makes use of the healing properties of hot steam. There is also the option to expand your chalet to include Petite Marmotte, which is a quaint little chalet for two that’s wonderfully romantic, rustic and cozy.
3. Revelstoke, Canada—Bighorn Revelstoke
Bighorn guests can enjoy the chalet’s private heliski pad (Credit/Lightfoot)
When you think Canadian skiing, Whistler and Blackcomb are probably the first mountains to come to mind. But a two-hours’ drive from Kelowna Airport, southern interior of the western province of British Columbia, will bring you to Revelstoke—the world’s only temperate inland rainforest bordered by high mountain peaks. And Revelstoke Mountain Resort is the only ski resort that offers lift, cat, heli and backcountry skiing, all from one village base.
Private chefs and a teppanyaki grill (Credit/chaletspa.com)
Bighorn is nestled amid the forest at the base of the Resort. This phenomenal property has been voted ‘World’s Best Ski Chalet’ at the World Ski Awards for the past four years. It comes complete with classic log fires, custom-designed wood furniture, traditional plaids, glowing chandeliers and carefully considered artwork. Both a heli-ski lodge and a luxury ski chalet, Bighorn offers three floors of deluxe accommodation with eight bedrooms. All rooms are spacious and feature wide plank wood flooring, large beds, expansive en suite bathrooms and balconies that offer stunning mountain views.
Guests can experience the world’s best heli-ski terrain at the resort and just moments away from their doorstep. After a day of skiing, guests can relax in their private hot tub before enjoying some pampering time at the spa. A stay at Bighorn also comes with a personal chef, because who has the energy to cook after a heli-good day on the slopes?
Written By: Adriane Rysz